Lockhart: The Texas BBQ Trail

Austin, Texas was packed with barbeque restaurants, shacks, carts, stands, and every other conceivable place to sell the fine, smoked meats. Our itinerary was booked most mornings, and the stories of the lengthy lines to order seemed like our time would be better spent elsewhere. We enjoyed our stay in Austin and will likely travel back, which affords us the opportunity to eat at the local BBQ joints.

We had a back-up plan. Sean told us about the Texas BBQ Trail, which connects four cities few have heard of (the link describes more about the cities and their specialties). We were heading south toward San Antonio, which made the town of Lockhart deliciously convenient off highway 183 South.We stopped at two restaurants - Black's Barbeque and Smitty's Market.

Wolf waited in line at Black Barbeque, while Peter saved his appetite for our next stop. It took about twenty minutes before Wolf could set eyes on the mouthwatering brisket, sausage, and ribs. While in line, he saw several pictures of the owner with celebrities, presidents, and athletes. He unfortunately didn't have the pleasure of posing with two more that day.

A picture of Wolf's meal. Their specialty is beef ribs, so he went with one of those, an Elgin sausage, mac and cheese, and some cowboy beans. Black's Barbeque is the oldest family-owned BBQ restaurant in Texas. They haven't changed their cooking style since they opened in 1932.

The girth of the beef rib puts the size of Wolf's hand to shame. This rib, apparently taken from a woolly mammoth, weighed well over 1 lb.

Wolf chowing down on the artery clogger.

With Wolf grotesquely stuffed, we headed to our next stop.

We arrived at Smitty's Market. A 25-foot-long wood stove intensified the already boiling hot day. Fortunately, the wait was short and Peter had his sausage, brisket, and Texas toast. Smitty's Market opened in 1999, but the family tradition began long before this restaurant opened. We could tell.

With expanding bellies, we were off to San Antonio. A picture of the beautiful town courthouse as we left.

Johnny Cash - "Ring Of Fire"